12 Aug How to Avoid Google Algorithm Updates

And 4 Reasons why you DO NOT need to rank number 1 in Google.

Spending months or even years trying to rank the big number 1 in Google is super risky. So, in this post I’m telling you how you can generate thousands more visits by spreading the risk.

When you decide which keywords you want to target in Google, it’s easy to think of one keyword that is super popular.

These days, there’s very few high-volume keywords that aren’t hugely competitive. And that take years of hard work to make it to the top.

What’s more, organic backlink profiles and high value inner pages, will always be one of the best ways to generate real and long-lasting rankings. So, you never need to worry about Google algorithm updates.

By organic backlinks, I mean ones that you haven’t directly requested – these are the BEST EVER. Websites have linked back to your work because they simply love it.

I’m going to explain why you NEED to target multiple keywords. And how to do this systematically over a mid-to-long period of time.

I’ll also explain at the end when, and only when it is OK to rank number 1 in the search engines.

Reason 1: Google Rankings ALWAYS fluctuate

Even if you do get to the lucky number one spot in Google, you won’t stay there. That’s pretty much guaranteed.

Here’s the issue:

Relying on 80% of your sales coming from one keyword is a business issue. If you lose your number one spot, then your sales are guaranteed to drop.

When your website drops, you will wonder what’s going on. You’ll probably start sweating when you see your website is no longer in the top 3.

CASE STUDY…

I picked up a client’s website who was ranking number 3 for a 14,000 per month search term – GREAT! Unfortunately, they had got there through spammy backlink and duplicate content tactics. Then they dropped to rank 6 to 7 due to a Google algorithm update, Their sales plummeted.

That’s because the top 3 spots get over 60% of the organic traffic – according to Search Engine Watch.

Take the low-risk approach and target multiple mid-to-high volume keywords. You’ll save yourself from the emotional ups AND DOWNS that google rankings bring to business owners.

Here’s more on how to spread the risk better.

Reason 2: Spreading the risk is key

By not focusing on one keyword, you have just opened up your opportunity to target a few different key search terms that could generate sales.

Just think:

You could target one keyword that has a volume of 5,000 searches per month.

OR

You could target 5 keywords that have a volume of 1,500 searches per month each. Totalling 7,500.

Which one sounds less risky and more profitable?

In many cases, you should be targeting anywhere between 50-100 keywords. And building that up over time.

Now, you can see that the more searches you target, you are continuously reducing the chance of being hit by google algorithm updates for any specific search term.

One way to find the keywords is to use SEMRush keyword magic tool – see video below:

[INSERT VIDEO]

Reason 3: You need links to your blog pages

You shouldn’t just be writing content for the sake of it.

Every blog post you write needs to have a promotion strategy behind it. By promotion strategy I mean reaching out to tell people who may be interested in what you’ve just wrote.

Even if you only get a couple of links per blog post, you’re still hugely improving the visibility of your site. Over time, you will rank on page one for any keyword you target. That’s how the big brands rank so high.

But remember, getting links to your blog or inner pages won’t get you to rank number 1 for a single keyword.

That’s because people will reference your blog posts with different text and the page will contain different text.

Here’s a real-life promotion example:

In June 2018, the SEO industry went crazy over a bug in a WordPress plugin called Yoast SEO. I found a unique solution. So, I wrote a blog post on the solution [INSERT LINK] called the best Yoast bug fix. I then emailed and tweeted, the owner of every website that had published an article about the bug.

I told them I’d found the best solution and asked them to reference it to their followers. Within weeks I had 5 new backlinks and interview requests from industry leaders such as Search Engine Journal.

The best part, most people linked back using the blog post title which included the word SEO. Because the most important goal is that the OG Guru service page is ranking for [LINK]SEO Manchester – that’s the page that converts into leads. By acquiring a few links per post, often with SEO in the anchor text, the service page will grow organically because the website is seen as being more and more authoritative.

Another benefit?

My profile and the OG Guru blog is being sky rocketed because SEO Industry leaders finding out about my content because they will be the ones who take my website up the rankings by organically linking to my work – EVENTUALLY & HOPEFULLY!

Reason 4: You need to Mix up your backlink’s anchor text

Doing the above will massively reduce the chances of you getting hit by Google algorithm updates.

It’s vital to make your backlink profile look as natural as possible. Getting links to every blog post you publish will help to achieve that.

But, of course you want to get anchor text that references your service or product pages. So, that’s where your website structure plays a key role in deciding which keywords you want to rank for.

For example:

You need to have a different page for each service keyword you want to rank. That means creating 5-10 pages rather than 1-2. There’s no limit to how many you should create but, the more granular your site, the higher chances you have for ranking across more keywords.

Finally, This is when you CAN rank NO.1 Safely

Now that you know it’s not important to rank number one in google for one keyword and that you need a granular page structure as well as a great blog. You can get to work on your SEO strategy.

It is important however not to spread yourself too thin. Especially in the early days of your website growth strategy.

Therefore, it’s not a problem if you put more focus into one or 2 pages to begin with. But the focus should be merely on reaching page 1 or the top 5 of Google and not necessarily rank No. 1.

When can you rank No. 1?

Only when it happens naturally should you be ranking No.1.

Here’s the details:

You put all your focus in getting a core product or service page onto page one of Google.

Then you focus your time and effort on a different page to get to page 1

You continue link building to your blog and 2nd service page. Eventually the 1st target page creeps it’s way up the rankings because your overall popularity is growing.

That’s when it’s GREAT to be ranking in No.1 position.

Let me know in the comments how you approach Google rankings and if you’ve experienced any risky tactics.

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Matt Adams is the founder of Online Growth Guru. He’s a ‘bearded’ business growth and SEO Expert. He regularly shares unique strategies and tactics with beginner and intermediate business owners...
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